STEEM WOMEN CLUB COMMUNITY: Chain Of Goodness Event| Visiting A Student Who Stoped Going To School

To parent a child's success is their greatest treasure. So with all they can they support their children's education. But sometimes being poor becomes a hindrance to success.

Hello my steemit friends!!

I wanna share today an experience I had of extending my duty as a teacher. In Philippine education one of the most common problem is drop outs. At the begining of the school year we started with 60 students but end up with only 45-50 left. It's sad when a student of yours started to skip school and not continue going to school.

As a teacher I have always visioned my students finishing and moving up to the next grade level. I have encountered students who are older than the grade level they are in, that is the result of dropping out of school.

There are a lot of factors that make students drop out, it could be that they have to quit school because they have to take care of their younger sibling, they have to work, or their parents stop supporting them, it could be that they are having personal problems or even being addicted to playing computer games And so many more.

And this were I come in, Teachers and parents have a big role to help students engage in school learning environment. The researchers believed that it is very important to motivate students to learn and engage more in school activities. As observed, there are students who are not performing well in school and at the same time, show lack of interest, take an outside job to help support the family resulting to poor school attendance and low academic performance. These are some of the variables that made a child to be “academically at-risk”. In every school, there are students that need an intervention by the teachers in order to succeed within the school year.

So I decided to do a Home Visitation. I ask some students who knows where my students who stopped going to school. I was so concerned of why she did not communicate to me or even ask a friend to tell me what she was going through.

We first rode a tricycle going to the barangay she lives. And here is what happened next, in the pictures I will show you the actual route my students take everyday when they go to school. most of the time they go to school on foot because they don't have enough money to pay for transportation.

I did not expect it was so far and I thought of the sacrifice these students make just to go to school. Maybe that is one of the reasons students quit because they lost determination to continue.

I was actually getting exhausted from the walk and it was scorching hot. But how can I rest and stop when I see my students walk not feeling tired even with a heavy bag. I thought to myself what is my one time sacrifice to this students everyday struggle.

And finally we have arrived. I lost count of how long we had to walk. But when I had a first sight of my student's situation I understood. She lived in this small shed and had too many younger siblings. Her mom is unemployed and had a sick younger sister too.

I asked her of why she wouldn't go to school she said she doesn't receive any allowance from her parents. She said it's hard to go to school without money. It's hard to go to school with an empty stomach and it's hard to feel ashamed. I was crushed as I listen to her sentiments. I thought to my self education has now become just an option not a necessity. And she chose to let education go. Talked to her and share my personal experience of poverty, I too grow up in a poor family. My dad left us and my mom had to work hard for our education. At times we don't eat enough and even had to walk going home, but that didn't stop me. I told her that if if she comes back to school I will help her catch up with lessons, I promised her that I will talk to her subject teachers to give her a chance to submit some of her lacking activities. I promised her that I will be there for her when she needs something. And she said yes, she will come back to school.

I was so happy that I was able to convince her. Her mom was happy too because she was not able to convince her from going back. She was also too exhausted to take care of all of her kids, so sometimes she can't monitor them.

After visiting her one of my students said that another clasmate who is constantly absent too lives nearby. So we decided to visit her too.

Actually today is a school day, we went to visit them after school was over. But this student of mine was not at home but was actually in a computer shop nearby.

I interviewed her and her father of why she didn't go to school that day and her father said that it was not a school day according to her daughter. He believed her and just let her spend the day in the computer shop.

I told her not to do it again and told her parents to investigate before letting their child be absent from school. I gave my personal contact number so if they want to know about school and their daughters performance they can just call or text me.

At times I feel my job is too tiring, at times I thought of not caring. But you see I have learned to love my students and everytime I look at them achieve something I have loved my job. I have complains, my salary may not be enough compare to the work I do but my only reward is when I see my students appreciate what I do. They say Thank you Ma'am, or Thank you ma'am for your kindness. Or You have been too kind to us ma'am those exact words make my heart clap and exalt in happiness.

Before I said thank you and goodbye I let them eat and drink for I know they were tired from the long walk. The smiles in their face being so appreciative with that simple food that I shared was too much for them already.

In that home visitation a dream was almost put to waste from a daughter who lost motivation to continue. I hope I can help as many students as I can. Thank you steemians for dropping by.

I wanna thank @steemitblog @steemcurator01 @steemcurator02 @steemcurator05 @steemwomenclub & @cryptokannon for an unending support..

Always,

BisayaKalog 😉